2025 has become an unprecedented year for overseas dramas—an era of pure variety. Heart-pounding thrillers, tender coming-of-age stories, sharp social commentaries… everything is here.
From Netflix and Prime Video to Apple TV+, we compared this year’s standout releases and selected the definitive TOP 10 International TV Series of 2025.
Alongside the main rankings, we’ve also curated a list of 10 must-watch titles by genre. If you’re looking for your next favorite show this year, you’ll find it here.
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2025 Overseas Drama Rankings TOP 10
10th Place｜On Call (Prime Video)
A 24-hour look at the Long Beach Police Department, where a rookie officer and his seasoned partner tackle everyday cases. There are no explosions. Few shootouts. But,Reporting, interrogation, judgment, hesitation——I understand that everything is the work of humans.
"It's not major incidents, but daily work on the ground that protects our city."
A quiet detective drama that carefully portrays such ordinary things.
Recommended Viewing Scenes
- I want to calmly peek behind the scenes of the incident.
- I want to watch a realistic drama that isn't flashy.
- I want to enjoy the atmosphere of human relationships.
▶︎Watch "On Call" on Prime Video
Watch movies, TV shows, live TV, and sports with [Amazon Prime Video]
9th Place｜Harlan Coben’s Lazarus (Prime Video / UK)
The dread of daily life crumbling away, rather than clear-cut terror. The slow descent of emotion leaves a bitter aftertaste. For those it strikes, it strikes deep.High-Deviation Thriller!
Recommended Viewing Scenes
- I want to watch a suspense film that slowly wears down your mind.
- I don't need flashiness, I want depth.
- A night for watching while pondering
▶︎Watch "Harlan Coben: Lazarus" on Prime Video (30-day free trial available)
Watch movies, TV shows, live TV, and sports with [Amazon Prime Video]
8th Place｜Chief of War (Apple TV+)
known for Aquaman Jason MomoaHowever, not only as the lead actorServed as screenwriter and executive producerA story based on historical facts. The entire work is imbued with a strong determination to depict the collective memory and pride of the people surrounding the unification of Hawaii from the perspective of those directly involved.
Not power, but land, blood, and culture. Not battle, but what is taken and what remains.A drama into which Momoa poured his soul along with his roots.
Recommended viewing mode
I want to immerse myself in the weight of history.
I want to savor the visual beauty and cultural depictions.
7th Place｜Smoke (Apple TV+)
A Suspenseful Thriller Surrounding a Series of Arson AttacksRather than the truth, what lingers is the human warmth and the hazy ambiguity of smoke. The lighting and atmospheric effects are so stylishly beautiful.
Recommended viewing mode
I am drawn to a person's breathing and gaze.
I want to watch it without solving the mystery, letting it seep in.
6th Place｜Dept. Q (Netflix / UK)
Not an addiction,A suspense that builds slowlyThe dry, British-style temperature and the tension born from what remains unsaid. Both the violence and the resolution are matter-of-fact, yet profoundly deep.
- I want to savor the lingering afterglow of the quietly progressing investigation.
- I prefer thrillers that tell the story through atmosphere rather than dialogue.
- A night when I want to watch a film that punches you with quality, not flashiness
5th Place｜My Life with the Walter Boys Season 2 (Netflix/USA)
An age when love, friendship, and pain all matter deeply. Though not flashy, it suddenly makes your heart ache.Nights of youth, and something that never fades even in adulthood!
A high school girl left devastated after losing her parents and sister overnight finds strength in her efforts to become part of the all-male Walter family. Keep an eye on her love triangle with third son Cole and fourth son Alex.
Recommended Viewing Scenes
- An evening when I want to lighten my mood
- I want to feel the steps of love and youth
- Days when I want to be swayed by a character's emotions
🏉Related Articles :Netflix "My Life with the Walter Boys" Complete Guide | Full Season Breakdown & Latest Updates
4th Place｜Adolescence (Netflix/UK)
A critically acclaimed masterpiece that garnered multiple award nominations.
No flashy effects. Yet the blades of words pierce silently. After watching this, you might find yourself unable to speak properly for days. Though the story's temperature is low, only the emotional burns remain.A work like a quiet bomb.
Recommended viewing mode
I want to cut through hearts with the knife of conversation.
I like the weight of silence.
🥉3rd Place｜Wednesday Season 2 (Netflix／USA)
Poison and cuteness coexist. Light yet intensely addictive. A drama you watch casually, only to find yourself hooked before you know it.
Season 2 delves deeper into Wednesday's personal growth and the complexities of her relationships with those around her. It's comical and snarky, yet occasionally delivers lines that unexpectedly hit home.Unique Black × CuteThis assessment remains unshaken once again.
The volume of discussions on social media after release, the resurgence of cosplay popularity. It's no wonder it's called "a rare case that doesn't lose momentum in sequels."
- I want to enjoy it with a social media feel and a brisk pace.
- I want both mystery and humor.
- Nights when I want to feel refreshed with dark humor
🥈2nd Place｜Stranger Things Season 5 (Netflix/USA)
A decade-long journey with them. Growth and farewells, yet the story continues. A tale where loss transforms into tenderness.
Works that reach their conclusion often invite disappointment rather than anticipation, but this one is different. It delivers a payoff that feels like the carefully accumulated ”time” has been rewarded. The meticulous direction, the music, the nostalgia for the 70s and 80s—it possesses a magic that remains timeless even today.
Though it's over, a warm afterglow lingers.You'll find yourself thinking, quite honestly, that you can truly entrust your heart to this ending.
Recommended viewing mode
I want to recall the spirit of adventure I had as a child.
I want to cry for friendship.
🥇1st Place｜Squid Game Season 3 (Netflix／South Korea)
The final chapter that made the world hold its breath once more. A tug-of-war between cruelty and hope. And the ultimate question—what does it mean to live?
With each passing season, the work shifts its focus from the game to the people. Who will be saved, and who will fall? Is hope a value or a trap? This season's structure, which tests the viewer's ethics, is the sharpest yet.
Battles of analysis on social media, live commentary culture, commentary from overseas media──The focal point that gave birth to the 2025 concept of "See, Speak, Rub."A presence so commanding that you'd wonder what else could possibly take first place.
- Nights when I want to feel my heartbeat
- I want to see human instincts and weaknesses
- The type who enjoys while pondering
Top 10 Recommended International TV Series by Genre
Science Fiction / Dystopia
Two works that explore ”What is humanity?” and ”What is society?” The depth of thought and visual design that Netflix can't replicate are quintessentially Apple.
Severance Season 2 (Apple TV+)
A world where work memories and everyday memories can be separated. Convenience and correctness are not the same—that question cuts deep. The mysteries multiply, yet I can't look away.
For those who enjoy thought-provoking science fiction.
Pullbris (Apple TV+)
What remains after the world ends—people or systems? The desolation and silence are beautiful, and the atmosphere strongly compels one to contemplate the future.
A work with high visual density and a lingering aftertaste.
Suspense/Horror
Don't watch this in a dark room. Its appeal lies in the bone-chilling tension and the lingering unease it leaves behind.
Bonesman: Demon Hunter (Prime Video)
The night when the boundary between spirits and the living grows blurred. A horror that leans toward human madness, without being overly flashy.
Watching one episode at a time is better than binge-watching.
📺 Watch "Bonesman: Demon Hunter" on Prime Video→Amazon Prime Video
True Stories: Social-Issue Documentary
One incident shakes the world's education, ethics, and individuals. It carries a weight that fiction cannot produce.
Spy High (Prime Video)
Spying and surveillance through laptops—a collapse of compliance. "What if it were me?" The thought lodges in your mind. After watching, your thoughts won't stop for a while.
If you like socially conscious films, this is your top priority.
📺 Watch "Spy High" on Prime Video→Amazon Prime Video
Human Drama / Romance / Emotional
It's not a battle, no blood is shed. But the drama that stirs the heart is sometimes the strongest.
Unique Life (Netflix)
The daily life of a boy on the autism spectrum and his family. What's most precious is his family and best friend who don't treat him differently, and his growth at his own pace.
The preciousness I want to revisit regularly.
Secret Ingredient: Romance (Netflix)
Reconstructing cooking, love, and life. The food descriptions are warm, and it makes you cry even when you don't expect to.
A slow-burning romance.
Motel California (U-NEXT)
A reunion after 12 years—time stands still, then begins to move again. The beauty lies in the spaces between the scenery and the dialogue.
The kind of thing you want to watch under the covers on autumn and winter nights.
Crime/Psychological Thriller
Not exactly cheerful. But powerful. Two works that depict the darkness of humanity so profoundly it makes you sigh.
Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV+)
Is the neighbor an ally, an enemy, or an observer? They quietly lead you to step on the landmines of human relationships.
Anxiety and curiosity won't let up.
BEAST —The Beast Within Me— (Netflix)
Anger, desire, regret—the uglier the emotion, the more human it is.
"Understanding" Hurts: A Dark Psychological Drama.
History/Culture
As times change, so do values. That's precisely why this work is worth watching today.
Karam: The Royal Chef (Apple TV+)
Court cuisine is both politics and art. History rides upon the plate, where desire and aesthetics intertwine.
A cultural drama worth watching with anticipation.
Summary｜2025 Was the Year of Choice for Overseas Dramas
2025 was not merely a year filled with buzzy titles.
."Squid GameandStranger ThingsWhile there were ”massive titles that swept the world,” there were also works that carefully captured small emotions and pierced society from perspectives no one had seen before.
A single drama can change the world. It may sound exaggerated, but I truly believe it.
◆This year, it's not just the 10 standout films you should watch
- Trending works have their reasons.
- But there's a reason why quiet masterpieces exist.
The Top 10 Rankings: "The Center of Overseas Dramas Discussed This Year."
10 Must-See International Dramas by Genre: "The Hidden Gems You Don't Want to Miss."
I don't want to be without either.
In 2025, which one will be yours?
Some days my heart is tossed about by flashy works, while other nights I'm saved by romance. I'm punched by social commentary, swallowed by psychological dramas, my perspective shifts through history, and I tremble at the future through sci-fi.
Drama is a choice and an experience.
The overseas dramas you choose this year will shape who you become in 2025. If any catch your interest, be sure to make them your companion over the New Year holidays.
📌 Thank you for reading to the end.
I've also compiled a comprehensive movie ranking for 2025, so feel free to check out some quick-watch films.
▶︎2025 Movie Overall Rankings TOP 10｜Which Film Defined the Year?
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- Netflix December 2025 Highlights Roundup｜A Bountiful Harvest of Movies and TV Shows!
- December 2025: Introducing All the New Prime Video Releases at Once!
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"On Call," "Harlan Coben/Lazarus" © 1996-2025, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates "Chief of War," "Smoke" © 2025 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Special Investigation Unit Q," "My Life with Walter Boys," "Adolescence," "Wednesday," "Stranger Things," "Squid Game" © Netflix, Inc.
※The information on this page is current as of December 2025. Please check the official website for the latest distribution status.
